One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 96
SERMON XCVI. Of the Publike Office of the Miniſtry, Some Distinctions concerning it, And the Neceſſity of a lawfull Call thereunto; Alſo ſhewing wherein private Chriſtians ſhould exerciſe their Gifts both ordinarily and in extraordinary Caſes.
JOH. 17.18.
As thou haſt ſent me into the world, even ſo have I ſent them alſo into the world.
WE have handled Chriſts Miſſion, and the matter imported in that Expreſſion. We come now to the Apoſtles Miſſion, wherein there is conſiderable,
1. Their Office under this notion of ſending.
2. The Perſon ſending, I have ſent them.
3. The Subjects, Them.
4. The Term of their Miſſion, Into the world.
5. The Pattern, As the Father hath ſent me: They have the ſame common vocation, Every particular will afford its proper uſefulneſſe.
And 1. Let us begin with their Office, It's called a ſending, This doth imply that they did not intrude themſelves into it, They did not uſurp upon the Office, but they were called and lawfully authorized thereunto; It had been ſinful preſumption in any of the Apoſtles to undertake that Office till Chriſt gave them this Commiſſion: There is no difficulty in the words, only it's queſtioned why our Saviour ſpeaks in the preterperfect tenſe, I have ſent them, ſeeing they were not yet ſent to publiſh the Goſpel to the whole world, for that was not done till his Aſcenſion; But it's anſwered, that it's ordinary with the Scripture to put one tenſe for another, and beſides, Chriſt had begun already to ſend them, though not into the whole world, yet into Judea, and Luk 6. he had already given them the name of Apoſtles, which is as much as thoſe that are ſent, yet becauſe after his Aſcenſion he then enlarges their Commiſſion, To preach to all Nations beſide Judea. Hence Joh. 20.21. Chriſt there ſpeaks in the preſent tenſe, As my Father hath ſent me, even ſo I ſend you: So then the Apoſtles did not undertake their miniſteriall Office before they were ſent,Obſerv. None may undertake the publike Office of the Miniſtry without a lawful Call thereunto. and for this end are called Apoſtles: Salmaſius thinketh he gave them this Name from the Captain of the Jews at that time, for in their Synagogues the Governours thereof have their proper Meſſengers belonging to them who were called Apoſtles. From this Obſerve,
That none may undertake the publike Office of the Miniſtry without a ſending or authoritative Call thereunto; If Chriſt did it not (as ye heard) and the Apoſtle Heb. 5. is diligent in obſerving of that, much leſſe may any men do it for the very word ſending doth imply a ſuperiour, who hath power to ſend, and alſo the inferiority and paſſiveneſſe of thoſe that are ſent. Therefore Rom. 10.13, 14, 15. You have there a Ladder like Jacobs reaching from earth to Heaven, where calling on God requires beleeving, beleeving requireth hearing, hearing requireth preaching, and preaching requireth ſending: See here the golden Chain of our Salvation in an ordinary way, No calling no faith, no faith no hearing, no hearing no preaching, no preaching no ſending: They are all required in their peculiar way with the ſame neceſſity, and therefore take heed of endangering your ſouls by deſpiſing the lawful Miniſtry of Chriſt, How ſhall they beleeve ſaith the Apoſtle, without this?
But to inform your judgements in this Point, becauſe it's a neceſſary Truth, and many errours are about it for your good, not for our own ſelf-advancement, as ſome are apt to think, we ſhall take this Method.
1. Give ſome Diſtinctions to clear the Point. 2. Shew you the diſtinct office of the Miniſtry from other callings, and the neceſſity of a lawful Call thereunto; Not that my purpoſe is to handle all thoſe things which belong to that Famous Common-place in Divinity, De miniſterio Eccleſiaſtico, but to touch on thoſe things that moſt relate to this Text,
Diſt. 1. There is a two-fold ſending. Mediate and Immediate.And firſt Conſider, That there is a two-fold ſending, a mediate and immediate ſending; an immediate ſending is when God or Chriſt doth in an extraordinary and peculiar manner give ſome a Call to this office; Thus the Prophets of the Old Teſtament they were immediatly ſent of God, and this immediate inſpiration and extraordinary gifting of them was enough to authoriſe them, though they had no Call in an ordinary manner from men, when they ſaid, Thus ſaith the Lord, then they ſhewed their Commiſſion, and thus the Apoſtles they were likewiſe immediatly called by Chriſt, and they were gifted in an extraordinary manner thereunto, They had no ſuch gifts at firſt, but Chriſt beſtowed them on them; In ordinary ſendings or miſſions, there men muſt firſt try and examine gifts, and ſee them before they confirm any in their office, but Chriſt that can make Children of Abraham out of ſtones, can alſo make Apoſtles out of illiterate and rude Fiſhermen; This immediate and extraordinary ſending is now wholly ceaſed, even as the gifts of Miracles; and therefore though our Divines do ſometimes ſay, Luther, Calvin, and thoſe firſt Reformers had an extraordinary Call, their meaning is not as if they were put into their Church-office by an immediate call of God, only there were extraordinary qualifications of them, by ſtirring them up to ſuch zeal and corroborating of them to go through ſuch a work as they did. In the next place there is an ordinary miſſion or authorizing, and that is to be perpetual in the Church, according to ſuch Rules, as Paul laieth down in his Epiſtles to Timothy and Titus, which are a directory concerning the Churches Government to the ends of the world; This ordinary ſending we are now to have, though the Apoſtles had an extraordinary.
Diſt. 2. The ſubſtance of the Miniſterial Office is the ſame with that which every Miniſter hath.Secondly, Conſider that though the Apoſtles had many perſonall and extraordinary priviledges, yet the eſſence and ſubſtance of their Miniſterial office, is the ſame with that which every Miniſter of the Goſpel hath, For Matth. 28. there the ſubſtance of their office is to preach and adminiſter the Sacraments, which is the duty of every Paſtor in the Church; We may not then argue from the extraordinaries of the Apoſtles to every Miniſter, but from their ſubſtantials, as thus, The Apoſtolical priviledges were to behold Chriſt with their eyes, and thereby to witneſſe the truth; To be infallible in their doctrine, to be illimited, not bound to one place more then another, to work miracles, &c. Now theſe were neceſſary for the infancy and firſt plantation of the Church, Signes being for thoſe that do not beleeve, and ſo it's not neceſſary ordinary Paſtours ſhould have them, but then there are the ſubſtantials of their Apoſtolical Office, which was to preach the Word, to be authorized thereunto, theſe are belonging to every Paſtor, and in this they are Succeſſors to the Apoſtles, Mat. 28. ult. I will be with you to the end of the world, and 2 Tim. 6.14. where in one place God promiſeth, and in another place Paul is required to keep thoſe Church-Ordinances till the end of the world, how can this be otherwiſe? but in the Paſtor of the Church, who are in this, though not in their extraordinaries the Apoſtles Succeſſors.
Thirdly, There is a great difference to be made between a publike and poteſtative preaching by way of office, and a private, wiſe, and humble, charitative emploiment of our gifts one Chriſtian to another; When we ſay, that only men may by way of office preach; We do not thereby prohibit or exclude, Thoſe Chriſtian duties and improvements of gifts in p…rier and admonition either in Families or one towards another, ſo that there is no Chriſtian though he hath never ſo good gifts, but he hath opportunities enough to improve them in a private way for Gods glory, without uſurping that office; There are many Texts of Scripture that ſhew how fruitfull and active private Chriſtians ſhould be in their way, to do good one to another, Col. 3.16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, with all wiſedom, teaching and admoniſhing one another; It is your duty to be exerciſed in the Word of God, and to admoniſh one another out of it, ſo Heb. 10.24, 25. There they are to provoke and exhort one another to do good; We ſhould in a brotherly way all take care of one anothers ſoul, and this is that Chriſtian Communion ſo much commended in the Church of God, ſo 1 Theſ. 5.11. Comfort and edifie one another even as ye do, he commended them for doing ſo, only in this neceſſary duty conſider how the Scripture hints and directs you,Rules for private Chriſtians exerciſing their Gifts. You muſt eat of this manna according to Gods appointment.
1. You are in the uſe of your gifts privately to carry your ſelves ſo as not thereby to neglect the publike Ordinances; To think that ſuch private Admonitions or Exhortations, or ſeekings to God are enough, we ſee how the Apoſtle joyneth them together, Heb. 10.24, 25. when he exhorted them to provoke one another to do good, he addeth, not forſaking the Aſſembly, as the manner of ſome was; Even in the Apoſtles daies, when there was ſuch purity of Church Ordinances, and admirably gifted Officers and Gods preſence with them, yet they were not to forſake the Aſſemblies, and obſerve how the Apoſtle bringeth them in upon the improving of their gifts in a private way, as if it were a great Temptation, when we employ them reſpectively to others, thereby to neglect the publike Ordinances.
2. Though private improvement of Gifts be lawfull to Parents, Maſters, and one Chriſtian to another, yet take heed that thereby you do not justle out the Office of the Miniſters, or becauſe of your gifts to neglect the publike Office Chriſt hath appointed, for the devil is buſie both waies either by prophane ſottiſhneſs and ignorance, to make men deſpiſe the Miniſtry, or by ſelf-conceit and pride of their own abilities; This the Apoſtle alſo provides againſt, 1 Theſ. 5.14. when he had commanded them to edifie one another, leſt it might be thought, what need we any Miniſters then? See how affectionately he addeth, and we beſeech you to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord; They muſt not for all their Gifts and improvements neglect that, So in the ſame Chapter, 19, 20, 21. verſes; where private Chriſtians are commanded to prove all things, and not to Quench the Spirit; They muſt ſtir up the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in them, yet ſo as not to deſpiſe Propheſyings, that is the miniſteriall Interpretation of Scripture, as the word to propheſie is commonly uſed.
Laſtly, That I may not be too long, Though it be a neceſſary Point, the private uſe of their gifts muſt be in ſuch duties, and in ſuch matters as are not above them: They may pray together, humble themſelves, exhort one another out of the Word of God in profitable things of Edification, but to determine the moſt controverted Points in Religion is farre above their ſtrength; Therefore let every one imitate Davids Humility, to walk humbly and not to exerciſe himſelf in things that are too high for him; The Apoſtle doth often antidote againſt pride and conceit, as if we did know things when we did not, and as the matter muſt not be above them, ſo it muſt be in that which is neceſſary and profitable, How many trouble themſelves about Univerſal Redemption? which is not only a Doctrine above their capacities, but they might do better to finde their own intereſt in Chriſts Death; Certainly if Chriſtians would meet, as of old they were wont, not to diſpute in high, unprofitable Points, but how to be more holy, more mortified, to walk more godlily in their Relations, then their meeting together would be for the better and not for the worſe, But now Chriſts Sheep do run into many bri…rs of Diſputations, that they almoſt loſe all their wool; Therefore the Apoſtle ſpeaketh excellently to this purpoſe, 1 Tim. 6.3, 4. he had preſſed to godlineſſe in Relations, and then ſaith, Let no man teach otherwiſe then the Doctrine which is according to godlineſſe; If they do, there comes no good of ſuch Diſputes, but envyings, ſtrifes, and carnal diſſentions amongſt one another: I was willing to adde thus much, becauſe it's thought that we would monopolize the Spirit of God, as that we envied the gifts and graces of God in others; No, God forbid, this only we would direct them, ſo as their liberty may not be turned to licentiouſneſſe: Even by the Canoniſts who were no waies much favourable to private Chriſtians, yet they did allow them charitativam, though not poteſtativam admonition; There is therefore no private Chriſtian, no nor woman, but they may be inſtrumental to the converting of Husbands and Children yea, with the Woman of Samaria be a means to bring the knowledge of Chriſt to others; Yea, ſeveral women Phebe, Synticke, Evadias, and others, are mentioned in the Goſpel for their great inſtrumentall ſervice in the propagating of Chriſts Kingdom, yet who will conclude from their improvement of gifts they might lawfully take the office of Preaching.
4. There is alſo great difference to be made between a Church under Perſecutions or not constituted, and a Church conſtituted; That may be done in times of Perſecution which may not in ſetled times of the Church; We ſee in caſe of extreme danger every man is a Magiſtrate, and may kill when aſſaulted rather then be killed; but it doth not therefore follow that every man may lawfully take upon him ordinarily the office of a Magiſtrate; The Sabbath might be broken in regard of neceſſity, and our Saviour from this excuſeth David for eating the Shew bread, which was lawfull only for the Prieſts to eat: Thus we reade of two private perſons that were a means to convert the Perſian King, and others, once to the Chriſtian Faith; Though theſe when they had opportunity ſought to have their office confirmed, and ſo if that Inſtance ſo much preſſed Act. 16.8. of the Diſciples preaching the Goſpel upon the Perſecution, could be manifeſted to be underſtood of private Diſciples and men out of office (the contrary whereof there are ſtrong preſumptions for) yet it would prove no more, but that in caſe of Perſecution, when beleevers are ſcattered up and down, it's lawfull for them to declare and make known Chriſt and his Truth; But what is this to a Church conſtituted, and walking in an orderly way?
5. This doctrine of the neceſſity of a lawful Call and authority in thoſe that preach is very neceſſary and profitable, and that partly in reſpect of the Miniſters themſelves, and partly in reſpect of the people; On the Miniſters part,
1. He can with the more quietneſſe and comfort ſatisfie himſelf in his work; You ſee the Phariſees they queſtioned Chriſt upon this very Point, By what authority he did theſe things? Mat. 21.23. Now our Saviour he ſuppoſeth that to be neceſſary, he doth not ſay, What matter for a Call or Authority? I have Gifts, but he goeth to prove that he had authority from God; Certainly to live in ſuch a way wherein the Conſcience of a Miniſter is not ſatisfied, that it's a lawful office, muſt needs be diſquieting of him, eſpecially when there are ſo many that ſay they have no Call, or that their Call is Antichriſtian, Is it not neceſſary to a Miniſter to be informed that by the Scripture he can juſtifie his Call and office?
2. It's neceſſary becauſe then he may expect Gods bleſſing and protection; When Chriſt ſaith, I will be with you to the end of the world, and he that deſpiſeth you despiſeth me, this is to be underſtood of ſuch as are in Chriſts office, Joh. 10. Doth not our Saviour ſeverely reprove ſuch as come not in by the door, calling them Theeves and Robbers, Gods protection and defence will go along with his Miniſters only.
2. On the Auditors part, for when they are convinced that ſuch are the Miniſters of Chriſt, They will 1. Hear with the more reverence and reſpect, even as Chriſt himſelf ſaith, A ſtranger Chriſts Sheep will not hear.
2. They may juſtly expect ſpiritual ſucceſſe in their Labours, that God will bleſſe the Miniſtry with ſuch ſpirituall iſſues, God hath promiſed, That it may be a Miniſtry of Life to them, and they may feel an experiment of Chriſt ſpeaking in them.
5. They will account of them (as Paul ſaith) as the Stewards of God; They will have them in high account for their office and works ſake.
Laſtly, They will tremble at their unthankfulneſſe and unfruitfulneſſe under their Miniſtry, for certainly if thoſe officers whom Chriſt himſelf hath appointed for thy converſion and reformation can do no good on thee, never think that otherwiſe will help thee; No, though men ſhould ariſe from the dead to preach to thee; what greater ſymptome can there be of thy eternal damnation then to be unprofitable and unreformed under Chriſts own officers, ſuch ground is nigh to curſing; If their Goſpel be hid, it is hid to ſuch as periſh, and Joh. 8. therefore ye are not of God becauſe ye hear not his Word.